Swan secures A26 pledge from Minister

Published:12:45Tuesday 30 August 2011

Mr Robin Swann, the North Antrim Ulster Unionist Party Assemblyman and member of the Stormont Culture, Arts and Leisure committee, has secured a very significant A26 road pledge for the constituency from Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy.

Assemblyman Swann, who is also North Antrim UUP Chairman, got the written pledges from Minister Kennedy after Mr Swann took party colleague Mr Kennedy on a personal tour of some key road hotspots in the constituency.

Mr Swann gained the ministerial commitments in relation to the A26 Glarryford to the A44 Drones Road junction dualling scheme. This has gained the unfortunate reputation of being one of the most dangerous pieces of road in North Antrim, added Mr Swann.

The North Antrim MLA continued: “Following my tour of certain roads in the constituency with Minister Kennedy, he wrote to me concerning the A26 and traffic calming.

“In relation to the A26 dualling scheme, Minister Kennedy told me the Investment Delivery Plan for Roads, published in 2008, clearly identified this dualling during the plan period 2008-2018.

“The preferred route for this proposed dualling was announced by his predecessor Conor Murphy in August 2008 as being the route which closely followed the existing corridor.

“This preferred route is currently being developed and it is anticipated that the draft Orders and Environmental Statement will be published later this year.

“Following the publication of these draft Orders and Environmental Statement, there will be a statutory consultation period.

“Based on the number and types of comments received, Minister Kennedy said he would make a decision as to whether or not a public inquiry is required. If an inquiry is needed, he said it could be held next year.

“The Minister added that his department’s roads service had informed him that three landowners along the scheme had requested that cattle underpasses are provided to link land on both sides of the proposed dual carriageway”said Assemblyman Swann.